D.--2

XLII

Expenditure. —The expenditure for tho year was as follows : — £ Maintenance; (charged to working-expenses) .. .. .. 1.141,684 New works (charged to capital) .. .. .. .. .. 149,543 Other Government Departments, public boelie;s, and private; parties .. 66,453 Total expenditure .. .. .. .. £1,357,680 The Maintenance expenditure charged to working-expenses amounted to £373 per mile, compared with £342 per mile in 1922-23, £367 per mile in 1921-22, £350 per mile in 1920-21, £280 per mile in 1919-20, £252 per mile in 1918-19, £240 per mile in 1917-18, £243 per mile in 1916-17, £251 per mile in 1915-16, and £254 per mile in 1914-15. Mileage. —The mileage open for traffic on 31st March, 1924, was 3,064 miles 8 chains. During the year 27 miles 29 chains additional lines were opened for traffic Lands and Leases. —Number of leases registered eluring the year, 493 ; aggregate rental of same, £3,904 ss. lOd. Total number of leases current on 31st March, 1924, 6,084 ; aggregate rental of same, £46,595 os. sd. Private siding agreements registered during year, 95 ; aggregate rental of same, £3,583 10s. Total number of agreements current on 31st March, 1924, 493 ; aggregate rental of same, £18,210 10s. Miscellaneous agreements entered into, 9. Total number of Proclamations issued, taking or giving up land, 43. Total amount of compensation paid during the year for land taken, £9,991. Staff. —Maintenance Branch—Working staff, 3,686 ; office staff, 140: total, 3,826.

SIGNAL AND ELECTRICAL. Mr. H. J. Wynne, A.M.1.C.E., Signal Engineer, reports as follows : — Fixed Signals at Officered Stations. —Home and distant signals have been provided at Cambridge and Runanga, home signals at Motuhoro, and additional home signals at Napier and Reefton. The; total number of officered stations (including tablet stations) is 475, of which 304 are equipped with fixed signals, 106 are interlocked, and 65 unequipped. Four signal repeaters have been installed during the year, making a total of 390 now in use. Interlocking of Points and Signals. —Complete all-electric-powor signalling and interlocking has been installed at Rolleston, Springfield, Arthur's Pass, and Otira. Mechanical interlocking has been provided at Onslow Road service siding and Whangarei ballastpit siding. Interlocking with tablet system has been installed as follows : Service siding at 14 m. 7 eh. near Homai; ballast-pit siding at 36 in., Thames Branch ; Bartholomew Land and Timber Company's private siding near Ngatira ; Selwyn Timber Company's private siding near Putaruru ; Nelson Bros.' private siding, Tomoana ; Pakipaki Brick and Lime Works private siding near Pakipaki; Hume Pipe Company's private siding near Terrace End ; Gasworks siding, Palmerston North; Booth and Co.'s private siding near Carterton ; Public Works Department's private siding at Otira. Special switch locks have been provided at Whangarei, Cambridge, Motuhora, and Reefton. The automatic signalling between Lambton and Upper Hutt has worked satisfactorily. Automatic signalling with three-position colour light signals for single-line working has been brought into use between Rolleston and Arthur's Pass, and is working satisfactorily ; good progress is being made between Otira and Stillwater. This system, for double-line working, is now in hand between Auckland and Penrose, and from Addington to Rolleston. Total stations now interlocked, 106 ; tramway-crossings, 7 ; sidings and flag stations interlocked with tablet, 220 ; stations where wood locks are installed, 305. Block Working and Electric Tablet. —The installation of tablet system between Arthur's Pass and Otira has been completed and brought into use ; length, 8J miles. The total mileage equippeel is 1,653 miles, out of a total of 3,025 miles of single line open for traffic. The number of tablet instruments now in use, is 890, at 372 stations. The total number e)f automatic tablet-exchangers in use is 340. Lock and Block. —The electric lock-and-block system has workeel satisfactorily during the year. The total mileage equipped is 35 miles of double line. The number of lock-and-block instruments in use is 68, at 30 stations. Telegraph and Telephone Facilities. —79 miles of poles and 735 miles of wire have been erected eluring the year. Thirty-six new connections to railway telephone circuits have been provided. The following portions of telephone-line have been converted from earth to metallic circuit: Drury to Mercer, Palmerston North to Paekakariki, Wellington to Petone, Waitati to Sawyer's Bay. "A cable has been run between Christchurch and Addington, to include all railway wires. Tho cables carrying tho railway wires through the Caversham and Wingatui Tunnels have been renewed. Totals now in use : Morse sets, 277 ; telephones, 1,773 ; electric bells, 339 ; miles of wire, 8,365 ; miles of poles, 2,758. Electric Light and Power. —Electric-lighting installations have been made as follows : Auckland, Waiuku, Frankton Junction, Matamata, St. John's, Waipukurau, Gisborne, Bryndwyr, Rangiora, Arthur's Pass, Otira, Oamaru, Dunedin. The following work has been done in connection with the electrification of machinery in locomotive workshops : Frankton Junction—One 25 h.p. motor installeei for log-hauler and circular saw. Aeldington—Installing electric drilling-machine ; three 10 h.p. motors for planing-machines replaced by 15 h.p. motors ; one 10 h.p. motor installed for sewing-machines. Hillside—One 5 h.p. motor installed for drilling-machine.